Peregrine Falcon bombed by a crow

On the spur of the moment I decided to visit the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge beside the River Severn. They have been in the news in the last couple of days as a Bewick's Swan has just arrived on its migration from the Arctic, the earliest ever known.  It has been suggested that it is a harbinger of a cold winter.

On arrival I was told where the Bewick's Swan could be seen, but I decided to have a look on the way out.  This morning after deciding to visit Slimbridge I'd checked their website to learn what special birds are around. It suggested that a rare Semipalmated Sandpiper at the might be the thing to view from the Holden Tower Hide, but that it had been chased away yesterday by a Peregrine Falcon.

On arrival at 11am I walked straight to the Holden Tower Hide which is the beside the marshland adjacent to the banks of the Sever.  I climbed to the top and was delighted that no-one else was there.  I set up my gear a=with a monopod and mu=y longest 400mm lens and looked about me.  I was amazed to see three cranes  quite nearby walking across the grassland looking for food.  One of them flew a few hundred yards to the edge of the river which was delightful to see.

Some other bird watchers arrived and someone pointed out that a Pergrine Falcon was standing on a small island in nearby tidal lagoon, so I immediately zoomed in on it.  There it stood preening itself for nearly an hour, as I waited patiently for it to take flight which is al;ways what intrigues me most of all.  More cranes flew in and across the marshes, as did hundreds of barnacle geese and single Brent goose according to the much more knowledgeable twitchers beside me.  They kindly pointed out birds so I could grab them in flight at odd moments, but I think everyone was most excited by the falcon.

Eventually some crows massed together and started to bomb the falcon, which did eventually move to a big tree branch stuck on the marsh that must have been washed down river at some point.  The falcon did spot something moving in the grass and attacked it and then flew off with it.

I have to blip this picture showing the falcon and one of the crows and I am adding an 'Extra photo' of another scene (Be amazed by those talons. Wow!!)  I must put them all up on Flickr as there were so many interesting views of such an amazing bird, so close up and in the wild.  I felt very privileged.